The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-09
SNAKES AND THEIR HABITS.
Strange Facts About the Various Spe-
cies Of Serpents Found in Indiana.
Snakes That Swallow Their Young-Cures for
Poisonous Bites-ADeadly Fight Between
Two Enormous Blacksnakes.

When Journal reporter called to see Prof
Collett few days ago, he found Prof 0. P.
Hay, of Butler University, present and snakes
OF high and low degree the subject of converse
ton. The subject had been brought up by
recent private snake-show, some ophidians hav-
Ing been shown at Professor Collects room by
NJ b. Harvey, of Rainstown, Hendricks county,
who was the captor and owner of the reptiles.
There were eleven very choice rattlesnakes'
explained Professor Hay to the reporter who
had come too late to see the exhibit. belonging
TO the species known as the Massasunga or
prairie rattlesnake. and to the rather rare black
variety of that species. The group consisted of
two old ones, the mothers and the nine young.
They were safely inclosed in a box that was
PROVIDE with glass cover. and were apparently
living 10 harmony and contentment
Mr.. Harvey, whose evident sincerity and
carefulness cannot be doubted, told US, Professor
Collect and myself, that the two old snakes.
each about eighteen inches long, were captured
about the first Of last August. They were
| carefully imprisoned, and about the first of
September they brought forth living young
one six and the other five. These young are
said to have been about three or four inches
long at their birth. They now about nine
or ten Most of them are of quite dark color.
merely showing traces of a lighter ground
color separating dark spots. Two of the young,
| however, are less dusky, and thus make ap
proach to the lighter colored and more common
variety One of the remarkable things about
this collection of snakes is the fact that neither
| the old since their capture nor the young since
| their birth had had, until just before I saw
| them. anything either to eat to drink.
| Cases are on record of serpents which have
| been closely confined even in bottles for con-
siderable periods without food, and which
| have nevertheless survived; but how young
| snakes can not only live, but also grow to
twice their original length, without food or
| drink, | confess I do not understand. That a
sufficient quantity of the yolk of the egg could
be taken up into the body before Matching does
not appear probable.
cit has long been question whether or not
snakes swallow their young Numerous &C
counts have been given by persons who have
affirmed that they have seen the feat per-
| formed. The habit has especially been attrib-
uted to the venomous snakes. On the other
hand it has been contended that such observers
| we're simply mistaken as to what they thought
| they saw, or II the young snake were really
| swallowed, it was to stay swallowed. to furnish
| food for the swallower Many snakes eat other
snakes, and some might devour the young Of
| their own species. But Mr.. G.. B. Goode, of the
| the question. Many competent observers re-
ported to him that they had both seen the young
enter the mouth of the supposed
mother and again come out. Now
time the young of his snakes were month old
they we're accustomed to go freely in and out of
the mouths of the mothers. 1t does not appear
that they were prompted to do this merely from
fear He was not sure that all the young we're
I ever down the throat of the mother at the same
| time, but often there would be seversl there.
Sometimes the head of a little snake could be
seen sticking out Of one side Of the mothers
| mouth, like cigar Probably on the other
side there would be sticking out another head,
or possibly a tail. When the young were
about month old they sloughed their skins,
after which time he is not sure that they ever
entered the mothers mouth although they may
have done
"When saw these serpents the old and most
of the young ones were coiled up together in a
mass as if to keep the little fellows warm. The
heads of the latter however, were all lying out
on the coils. as if they had as great curiosity to
see what was going on about them other little
folks. One of the young was lying on the bot
tom of the box away from the others One oil
it, and kept rubbing it with her head
and gently pushing it about with hel
snout. Mr. Harvey said that they Otter
appeared to be carressing their young
The maternal instinct must be very strone
in these reptiles, usually regarded SO cruel and
so low in intelligence. when they will for months
endure hunger and Shirst-and still kindly care
for their young One would suppose that if the
young ever went down into the mothers ston
ach, the temptation would, under the crcum
stances, be almost irresistible for her to keer
them there.
81 should have been glad to know the exac
| 10th Of oo1l - d.
iectively. land when I said 80, Mr.. HaIye,
kindly offered to stretch one of them on tn,
, floor and let me measure it, but when / recol
lected how long the reptile had tgone withou
victuals declined with thanks"
r ''Snakes in Indiana" said Professor Collect
after the other herpetologist had finished hi
: discourse. were formerly very numerous. II
, every rocky gorge, woody glen, and swamp,
prairie, they were not only common but plenti
full, and had but few enemies. The stories O
deer attacking snakes, even rattlers, are strictly
true. When l was boy. my father had deel
park OF twelve acres in Vermillion county, auG
there were ten dozen deer in it. hav
< seen buck, and sometimes doe, spring upon
RATHER, and with their sharp pointed hoofs
e cut the snake to pieces 1t is said by tn
0 Indians that the raccoon and some other carniv
orous animals, when bitten by poisonou
snakes, will eat the leaves OF the mouse care
plantain a remedy. have been told this g.
often l think there must be something in il
The remedy for poisonous snake bites is hysso
> the leaves bruised and stepped in milk. A
. authority for this is the late John B. Richard
vile, chief of the Mamis. The person bitten
to drink a portion of the infusion, while
poultce made of the stepped leaves is to be ar
. piled to the wound and renewed every time
! becomes dry. l have never seen thi
. used for snake bites. but have known G
Il its use for the poison Of bees, hornets and Xix
;. insects. 1t has been successfully used in terri
BILE cases of poisoning by the poison oak (rhu
. toxicodendron). with almost immediate relief
u The final cure for poisonous snake bite, o
: course. is whisky, drunk until complete ntox
l cation is produced, whether the quantity nsed
great or small. The alcohol, going immediatel
into the blood, neutralzes the poison, and make
= it of no avail. It is case of smlia similbu
= curantur, one poison to kill another. l hav
> known persons to be cured of rattlesnake bite
u by whisky. One man drank nearly two GALLON